Darren Elkins vs. Tiequan Zhang
The first round began and they touched gloves. Elkins landed a right hand and ate a counter right hook and a left uppercut and another. Zhang dragged Elkins down with a tight guillotine to half-guard. Four thirty-five. Oh wow. Elkins rolled out to half-guard and was fighting it. Zhang lost the choke, but had the position. Four fifteen. Elkins escaped and stood out landing a right to the body and a left and a right coming back down to guard. Four minutes. Elkins landed a big right. This is great already. Elkins landed a right and a big left. Three thirty-five. Elkins landed a right and passed to half-guard. Three fifteen remaining. Elkins kneed the body. Elkins landed a left elbow. Three minutes. Elkins landed a left elbow. Elkins worked for a D'arce. I called it way before Rogan. Two thirty-five as Elkins mounted and lost it. Zhang regained half-guard eating two big left elbows and another. Two fifteen remaining. Elkins landed a pair of rights to the body and a left elbow and another. Two minutes. Elkins mounted nicely. Zhang gave up the back with both hooks. YES! He landed a left. One thirty-five. Elkins landed a left hammerfist. Elkins worked a choke. Zhang didn't look comfortable on the ground. One fifteen. Elkins landed a right and three more and a left. One minute. Zhang was trying to escape. Elkins worked for the choke nearly there, lost it. Zhang wanted a footlock. He was trying to break Elkins's foot there. Thirty. Elkins escaped and had a body triangle working rights to the body and blocked ones to the face. More. Fifteen. More blocked rights, that one hit the nose. Not hard punches by any means. The first round ended and 10-9 Elkins. "Get a takedown," Elkins's corner was instructing now or maybe all along. The second round began and they touched gloves. Zhang stuffed a single sprawling. Elkins was tired. Zhang stuffed a single, tried another guillotine rolling with it hard on top. Elkins rolled out to side control and had a choke himself. Zhang regained half-guard. Four thirty. Elkins rolled Zhang easily over with a beautiful overhook and had the back. Four fifteen as he got one hook and then the other. Elkins landed a right. Four minutes. Elkins landed four rights. Zhang was blocking most. Elkins landed a couple of good rights there. Another. Three thirty-five. Zhang was trying that footlock again there... Elkins got the body triangle but turned to mount, back to the hooks, then half-guard. Three fifteen. Good hips by Zhang. Three minutes. Zhang needs to train more off his back. Elkins passed to side control. Elkins landed a left hammerfist. Zhang stood and escaped. Two thirty-five. Let's see some striking. Zhang stuffed a single and worked another guillotine there again. Elkins escaped to half-guard. Zhang was too gassed to hold on there. Two fifteen. Elkins landed a right hammerfist. Two minutes. Elkins landed a right elbow. Another. "Again, again, again!" Elkins landed two right hammerfists. One thirty-five. Elkins landed a left. Zhang swept to the butterflies. One fifteen as Elkins reversed with a double to half-guard again there. Elkins kneed the body twice. One minute. Elkins landed a left hammerfist. Two left hands. Elkins landed a left shoulder and a right one. Thirty-five. Zhang nearly stood. He regained half-guard. The ref wanted action. Fifteen. Elkins landed a left shoulder and a big one. Zhang was gassed. Elkins kneed the body three times. The second round ended, 10-9 Elkins. "Posture up so you can hit on him!" Elkins heard from his cornermen. The third round began. Elkins landed a right. Zhang stuffed a single, sprawled stuffing another. Elkins got another single, Zhang dropped down for a guillotine actually, it was tight, he had it very tight. Elkins's head was purple. Four thirty. Elkins rolled and turtled up. The crowd roared. Four fifteen as Elkins reversed to guard. Four minutes. Elkins landed two big rights and another. Another and a one-two to the body. A big left. Three thirty-five. Elkins landed a great right elbow. He passed to half-guard. Elkins landed a left elbow. Another to the body. Three fifteen. Elkins landed a left elbow and another and another. Another. Three minutes. Elkins mounted. Elkins landed three rights. Zhang regained half-guard. Two thirty-five. Elkins kneed the body and passed to deep side control. Zhang gave up the back. Elkins landed two rights. Two fifteen with another right. Three big right hammerfists and a right hand. Zhang complained about the back of the head. Two minutes as Elkins got both hooks. Elkins got the body triangle. Elkins is GREAT on the ground. One thirty-five. Elkins landed four big rights. Three more. These are hard. Five right hammerfists and three right hands. One fifteen. Elkins was overhooking that arm. He went back for the choke. He faked out Zhang. He lost the choke. One minute. Thirty-five left. Elkins landed some blocked rights. Elkins landed two rights, hammerfisted the back of the head twice. Fifteen. The third round ended, 10-9 Elkins. 30-27 Elkins by far.